Respectful treatment of video subjects involves a constant awareness and appreciation of the fact that video only captures a small set of moments of these individuals’ lives and provides a very limited glimpse into these moments. Comments should reflect this and avoid exaggerated claims about individuals in the video, generalizations about them as people or their larger roles as teachers/learners/observers.
Respectful treatment also involves sensitivity to the role that one’s own background, values, and beliefs play in what one is inclined to hear and see in the videos, how one interprets and make sense of these things, and the ways in which one values (or doesn’t value) what is viewed. Comments should strive to avoid misrepresenting one’s own interpretations and values as “fact” or present it in ways that silence others’ interpretations and values.
Finally, respectful treatment of video subjects acknowledges that those who appear in the videos are people with feelings, histories, values and beliefs – who were going about their day-to-day lives and were willing to share it so that others might learn from these videos. Please be aware that these individuals – or those who know them – might be among you. Therefore, do not reference or address video subjects in ways that would encourage harm, make them regret their willingness to share, or discourage others from being willing to share their work and lives in these ways.